App. St. donates $20k to relief fund

TigerRag.com

11/08/2005

Appalachian State University presented a check for $20,000 to LSU's Hurricane Student Relief Fund during Saturday night's LSU-ASU football game at Tiger Stadium. The donation will directly aid LSU students affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The $20,000 was raised by various student groups across Appalachian State's campus, and was presented to LSU by Appalachian student body president Jud Watkins, faculty athletics representative Dr. Alan Hauser and athletics director Charlie Cobb.

The donation was accepted by LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe and LSU Student Government president Michelle Geig.

"We applaud the thoughtfulness, generosity and ingenuity of the Appalachian State students in staging over 100 events that raised $20,000 for LSU's Hurricane Student Relief Fund," O'Keefe said. "We are proud to call the entire Appalachian State community our friends."

The relief fund was established to assist LSU students who have lost financial support or have been displaced due to the hurricanes. The fund will also aid those students from affected universities who have enrolled at LSU and who have suffered financial hardship and property loss associated with the storm and its subsequent effects.

"I can only say I think that is a tremendous piece of work by a student population," said LSU head coach Les Miles to open his weekly Monday press conference. "They are to be commended, and it's certainly nice that they keep us in their prayers."

Appalachian State's generosity was met with a standing ovation from the 91,414 LSU faithful on hand for the game.

"It was amazing to see the response to our donation from the students, alumni and fans at LSU," Watkins said. "Their student body president told me that while they have received many donations after the devastation that Katrina caused in their state, they were incredibly impressed with the spirit of 'students giving to students' from one university to another."

On Sunday alone, Cobb received multiple e-mails from LSU fans, thanking Appalachian for its generous donation.

"The feedback that I received both in person in Louisiana and through e-mails since we returned shows that LSU appreciates all that Appalachian's students, faculty and staff have done to help with the recovery process along the Gulf Coast," Cobb said. "While Jud, Dr. Hauser and I were fortunate enough to represent ASU in Baton Rouge, it was the heart of the entire Appalachian community that was on display in front of 91,414 people on Saturday night."

Other LSU fans who want to express their appreciation to Appalachian State can write to Cobb at cobbcg@appstate.edu